CVS removes cigarettes from its shelves, find out why the chairs they still carry could be just as deadly.

Most of us now believe that smoking increases our chances of getting cancer. We are taught that if we smoke we increase our risk of contracting this largely incurable disease. But our bosses don’t make us smoke at work. No one in their right mind would tell us we’re fired if we don’t take that cigarette sitting on the table, put it into our mouths and light it up. But could we be doing something just as dangerous by paying people to sit in front of their computers for 8 hours a day?

There is a mounting body of evidence that suggests that sitting for more than 1, that’s right, 1 hour in a row could elevate health risks in a similar fashion to smoking. Sitting for extended periods of time contributes to your chances of Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Stroke, Breast and Colon Cancer. Studies suggest that getting up and moving for 1-2 minutes each hour reduce your risk levels for these conditions by 21-50% (depending on the specific condition).

Sitting is Smoking articles highlighting this research are popping up all over our media. But what are we doing about it? What do our office health programs do about it? How do your company’s policies affect your ability to get up and move throughout the day? Is your boss unknowingly trying to kill you by encouraging you to stay at your desk for hours at a time?

There are a host of benefits associated with micro bursts of activity every hour that go far beyond the research based disease risk mitigation mentioned above. Research also shows that people who engage in light, intermittent physical activity typically have increased mental focus. Activity also boosts endorphins resulting in people just generally being happier. The combination of the two typically results in higher levels of productivity in a work environment.